Ultrasonic imaging device, apparatus and method

Abstract

The present application discloses an ultrasonic imaging device, apparatus, and method. The device includes: a memory storing an instruction set, the instruction set including an imaging requirement adjustment instruction, a probe for transmitting different beams based on the imaging requirement adjustment instruction, and a processor communicating with the memory, wherein, when the imaging requirement adjustment instruction is executed, the processor is configured to cause the ultrasonic imaging device to execute a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode: performing a corresponding hybrid wave imaging operation according to the hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result; the hybrid wave imaging operation includes imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, the different transmit beam types including at least focused waves and unfocused waves; wherein the hybrid wave imaging mode includes a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation.

Description

[0001] Description of the case

[0002] This application is a divisional application based on the Chinese application with the application date of October 26, 2021, application number 202111250486.0, and the invention name of "An ultrasonic imaging method, device and computer-readable storage medium". Technical Field

[0003] This specification relates to the field of ultrasonic detection and diagnosis technology, and in particular to an ultrasonic imaging device, apparatus and method. Background Art

[0004] Ultrasound imaging involves transmitting ultrasound waves from an ultrasound probe to the object to be examined, and generating an ultrasound image based on the ultrasound echo signals. Ultrasound beam types are generally classified into focused waves and unfocused waves (such as plane waves, diverging waves, and wide beams). Each beam type has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, focused waves have high focusing energy, but imaging with focused waves requires more transmissions. Unfocused waves, such as diverging waves and plane waves, are suitable for higher frame rates but are inferior to focused waves in terms of focusing energy. They offer fast imaging speeds and a more uniform sound field, but the image signal-to-noise ratio is low.

[0005] In the past, ultrasound imaging technology mostly used focused waves to concentrate the emission in a certain area in order to improve the image quality of that area. However, although the traditional focused wave emission method has high energy, it often has many emission times and long emission time, which limits the frame rate optimization. Although there are currently some cases of using plane waves to supplement local emission in non-core areas (i.e., areas outside the above-mentioned focused emission area), the respective advantages and disadvantages of different beam types have not been fully integrated. Through reasonable planning, setting and combination, the respective advantages of various ultrasound waves can be fully utilized, the overall imaging efficiency can be further improved, and the imaging needs of users can be better met. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One of the embodiments of the present application provides an ultrasonic imaging device, which includes: a memory storing an instruction set, the instruction set including an imaging requirement adjustment instruction, a probe for transmitting different beams based on the imaging requirement adjustment instruction, and a processor communicating with the memory, wherein, when executing the imaging requirement adjustment instruction, the processor is configured to cause the ultrasonic imaging device to execute a mixed wave imaging mode: according to the mixed wave imaging mode, a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation is performed to obtain a corresponding imaging result; the mixed wave imaging operation includes imaging using mixed waves of different transmission beam types, and the different transmission beam types include at least focused waves and unfocused waves; wherein the mixed wave imaging mode includes a second mixed wave imaging mode, and the second mixed wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture mixed transmission operation.

[0007] One of the embodiments of the present application provides an ultrasonic imaging device, comprising: a hybrid wave imaging mode determination module, configured to determine a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode based on information related to imaging requirements; a hybrid wave imaging operation module, configured to perform a corresponding hybrid wave imaging operation based on the hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result; the hybrid wave imaging operation comprises imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, wherein the different transmit beam types include at least focused waves and unfocused waves; wherein the hybrid wave imaging mode comprises a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode comprises a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation.

[0008] One embodiment of the present application provides an ultrasound imaging method, which is performed by an ultrasound imaging device. The method includes: determining a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode based on information related to imaging requirements; performing a corresponding hybrid wave imaging operation based on the hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result; the hybrid wave imaging operation includes imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, the different transmit beam types including at least focused waves and unfocused waves; wherein the hybrid wave imaging mode includes a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation.

[0009] The ultrasonic imaging method, device and computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: (1) by comprehensively considering the imaging needs of users including image quality and / or frame rate, effective resource allocation is performed through the use of hybrid wave emission and its multiple composite means, the optimal hybrid wave imaging mode is determined, and then the imaging operation is completed in the hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain optimized imaging results, thereby improving the overall imaging efficiency, meeting the user's expected imaging needs, and greatly improving the user experience; (2) through the full-aperture hybrid emission operation in the hybrid wave imaging mode, a larger scanning area is covered, while the frame rate is improved by combining the fast imaging speed of non-focused waves, wide coverage area, uniform sound field and fewer emission times. (3) Through the mobile aperture operation mode in the hybrid wave imaging mode, it is possible to perform favorable emission scanning in the focus area (such as the area of ​​interest) according to the user's imaging needs and combine the advantages of multiple beams to obtain more dimensional hybrid wave echo data, which is convenient for subsequent echo signal compounding or image compounding processing, and provides guarantees for meeting the personalized imaging needs of different users in different scenarios; (4) According to the imaging needs of different users in different imaging scenarios, through the reasonable configuration of image compounding operations such as line compounding, space compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding, more deflection scanning information can be obtained, and random noise can be effectively suppressed, thereby improving imaging efficiency in terms of both image quality and frame rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an ultrasound imaging system according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0011] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an application scenario of an ultrasonic imaging device according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0012] Figure 3 is an exemplary flow chart of an ultrasound imaging method according to some embodiments of the present specification;

[0013] Figure 4 An exemplary flow chart of performing corresponding mixed wave imaging operations according to a mixed wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0014] Figure 5 This is an example diagram of determining a limit deflection angle and a limit delay time according to array element directivity constraints according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0015] Figure 6 This is an example diagram of determining a limit deflection angle and a limit delay time according to array element directivity constraints according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0016] Figures 7a to 7d This is an example diagram of the effect of performing angle scanning with a diverging wave beam according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0017] Figure 8 This is an example diagram of determining a limit deflection angle and a limit delay time according to array element directivity constraints according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0018] Figure 9 This is an example of the focus distribution method in the hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0019] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of emission imaging in a first hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0020] Figure 11 This is an example of the focus distribution method in the hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0021] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of emission imaging in the second hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0022] Figures 13a to 13c is an example diagram of the sound pressure distribution of an ultrasonic beam in a hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0023] Figure 14 4 is an example diagram of the composition structure of the ultrasonic imaging device 400 shown in some embodiments of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification, the following briefly describes the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely examples or embodiments of this specification. Those skilled in the art can apply this specification to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without inventive effort. Unless otherwise apparent from the context or otherwise noted, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same structure or operation.

[0025] It should be understood that the terms "system," "device," "unit," and / or "module" used herein are a method for distinguishing different components, elements, parts, portions, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other terms can achieve the same purpose, the terms may be replaced by other expressions.

[0026] As used in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not refer to the singular but also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprises" and "include" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements specifically identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. A method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0027] Flowcharts are used throughout this specification to illustrate the operations performed by systems according to embodiments of this specification. It should be understood that preceding or following operations do not necessarily need to be performed in exact order. Instead, the steps may be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more operations may be removed from these processes.

[0028] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the ultrasound imaging system 100 according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the application scenario may include an ultrasound device 110 , a server 120 , a storage device 130 , a terminal 140 and a network 150 .

[0030] The ultrasound device 110 can be used to scan an object for diagnostic imaging. The ultrasound device 110 can be used to view image information of the object's internal body tissue to assist doctors in diagnosing diseases. The ultrasound device 110 can send higher frequency sound waves (e.g., ultrasound waves) to the object through a probe to produce an ultrasound image. In some embodiments, the object may include a biological object and / or a non-biological object. For example, the object may include a specific part of the human body, such as the neck, chest, abdomen, etc., or a combination thereof. For another example, the object may be a patient to be scanned by the ultrasound device 110. In some embodiments, the ultrasound image may include at least one of a brightness mode (B-mode) image, a color mode (C-mode) image, a motion mode (M-mode) image, a Doppler mode (D-mode) image, and an elastic imaging mode (E-mode) image. In some embodiments, the ultrasound image may include a two-dimensional (2D) image or a three-dimensional (3D) image.

[0031] The ultrasound device 110 can be used for data acquisition, processing and / or output, positioning and other functions. The functional device 110 may include one or more sub-functional devices (for example, a single sensor device or a sensor system device composed of multiple sensor devices). In some embodiments, the ultrasound device 110 may include but is not limited to an ultrasound transmitting unit (for example, including an ultrasound transducer, etc.), an ultrasound imaging unit, a radio frequency sensing unit, an NFC communication unit, an image acquisition unit, an image display unit, an audio output unit, etc. or any combination thereof. Exemplarily, the ultrasound imaging unit can be used for processing received signals, including ultrasound emission, ultrasound reception, mixed wave beamforming, filtering, demodulation, beam synthesis, mixed wave echo data compounding operations, and other data processing that may be involved in the ultrasound imaging process. Exemplarily, the image display unit can be used to optimize the display of the imaging image. Exemplarily, the ultrasound device 110 can be controlled by its information input module ( Figure 1 (not shown) to collect imaging object information and receive imaging operation instruction information. For example, the ultrasound device 110 may also receive imaging object information and / or imaging operation instruction information sent from the terminal 140 or the server 120 via the network 150, and may send intermediate imaging result data or mixed wave imaging images to the processor, storage device 130, or terminal 140.

[0032] The server 120 may process data and / or information obtained from other devices or system components. The server 120 may execute program instructions based on this data, information, and / or processing results to perform one or more functions described in this application, such as ultrasonic transmission, ultrasonic reception, hybrid wave beamforming, filtering, demodulation, beam synthesis, hybrid wave echo data compounding operations, and other data processing that may be involved in the ultrasound imaging process. In some embodiments, the server 120 may receive intermediate imaging result data or hybrid wave imaging images from the ultrasound device 110, for example, receive filtered intermediate imaging result data, and for example, receive the final hybrid wave imaging image completed by the ultrasound device 110, and perform corresponding ultrasound diagnostic analysis operations based on the hybrid wave imaging image and a preset ultrasound diagnostic analysis program.

[0033] In some embodiments, the server 120 may include one or more sub-processing devices (e.g., a single-core processing device or a multi-core multi-core processing device). By way of example only, the server 120 may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application-specific instruction set processor (ASIP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a physical processing unit (PPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a controller, a microcontroller unit, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), a microprocessor, or any combination thereof.

[0034] In some embodiments, the ultrasound device 110, the terminal 140 and other possible system components may include a server 120. For example, the server 120 or a functional module that can realize the functions of the server 120 can be integrated into the ultrasound device 110, the terminal 140 and other possible system components.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more components of the ultrasound imaging system 100 may transmit data to other components of the ultrasound imaging system 100 via the network 150. For example, the server 120 may obtain information and / or data from the terminal 140, the ultrasound device 110, and the storage device 130 via the network 150, or may send information and / or data to the terminal 140, the ultrasound device 110, and the storage device 130 via the network 150.

[0036] The storage device 130 can be used to store data and / or instructions. Data refers to a digital representation of information and can include various types, such as binary data, text data, image data, and video data. Instructions refer to programs that control a device or component to perform specific functions. For example, the storage device 130 can store various possible data and / or programs involved in the ultrasound imaging process, such as program data for multiple hybrid wave imaging modes, information data related to imaging requirements, hybrid wave imaging result data (i.e., hybrid wave imaging image data), touchscreen operation instructions, and / or preset machine learning algorithms.

[0037] The storage device 130 may include one or more storage components, each of which may be a standalone device or part of another device. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage, removable memory, volatile read-write memory, or the like, or any combination thereof. Exemplarily, the mass storage may include a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a solid-state disk, or the like. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may be implemented on a cloud platform. By way of example only, the cloud platform may include a private cloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, a community cloud, a distributed cloud, an internal cloud, a multi-layer cloud, or the like, or any combination thereof.

[0038] Terminal 140 refers to one or more terminal devices or software used by a user. Terminal 140 may include a processing unit, a display unit, an input / output unit, a sensing unit, a storage unit, etc. The sensing unit may include, but is not limited to, a light sensor, a distance sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a sound detector, etc., or any combination thereof.

[0039] In some embodiments, terminal 140 may be any one of a mobile device 140-1, a tablet computer 140-2, a laptop computer 140-3, a desktop computer 140-4, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, terminal 140 may be used by one or more users, including users who directly use the service or other related users.

[0040] The above examples are only used to illustrate the wide range of the terminal 140 device and are not intended to limit its scope.

[0041] The network 150 can connect the various components of the system and / or connect the system with external resources. The network 150 enables communication between the various components and with other components outside the system, facilitating the exchange of data and / or information. In some embodiments, the network 150 can be any one or more of a wired network or a wireless network. For example, the network 150 can include a cable network, a fiber optic network, a telecommunications network, the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Bluetooth network, a ZigBee network, near-field communication (NFC), an in-device bus, an in-device line, a cable connection, or any combination thereof. The network connection between the various components can adopt one of the above methods or multiple methods. In some embodiments, the network can be a point-to-point, shared, centralized, or other topological structure, or a combination of multiple topological structures. In some embodiments, the network 150 can include one or more network access points. For example, the network 150 may include wired or wireless network access points, such as base stations and / or network switching points, through which one or more components entering and exiting the ultrasound imaging system 100 may connect to the network 150 to exchange data and / or information.

[0042] Figure 2 Shown is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the ultrasonic imaging device 200 according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0043] The ultrasound imaging apparatus 200 may include a transmit beamformer 201 , a transmit controller 202 , a receive controller 203 , a memory 204 , a processor 205 , a display 206 , an input device 207 , and a probe 208 .

[0044] The input device 207 may include, but is not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a handwriting tablet, a touch screen, and the like, and may also be used to control the system through voice and gestures as input commands.

[0045] When the user's imaging requirement-related information instructions are transmitted to the processor 205 through the input device 207, the processor parses the instructions and selects the corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode, and sends the corresponding parameter requirements of the hybrid wave imaging mode to the transmit beamformer 201. The transmit beamformer 201 calculates a series of transmission parameters such as delay time, deflection angle, and corresponding array element parameters based on the parameter requirements. The transmit controller 202 forms a corresponding scanning sequence (or scanning sequence) of the hybrid wave imaging mode based on the transmission parameters, and generates a driving voltage signal to excite the transducer array elements in the probe to vibrate and form corresponding ultrasonic waves.

[0046] When sound waves propagate in a medium and encounter an uneven interface, a reflection signal is generated. The transducer array elements of the probe 208 receive the vibration waves reflected by the medium. The receiving controller 203 converts the mechanical waves into electrical signals and stores them in the memory 204. The processor 205 converts the RF signal into an image signal according to the corresponding operation mode of the corresponding mixed wave imaging mode and the processing options or adjustment options input or selected by the user in real time, and finally outputs the ultrasound image to the display 206.

[0047] The transmit beamformer 201 is not limited to hardware circuits such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and DSPs (Digital Signal Processing), but can also be a digital beamformer. The transducer array used to transmit focused and unfocused waves can be a one-dimensional array or a multi-dimensional array configured according to a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode. Because in some hybrid wave imaging modes, focused and unfocused waves are not transmitted simultaneously, each wave is transmitted and the echo is received before the next transmission can be performed, so as to avoid interference with the echo signal. The use of a multi-dimensional array (e.g., a two-dimensional array) utilizes the different widths and other array element-related parameters of multiple columns of array elements to make different columns more suitable for corresponding beam types, thereby improving the quality of the sound field during transmission, achieving a wider imaging range and better focusing effect.

[0048] It should be noted that, for the above-mentioned ultrasound imaging system 100, Figure 2 Ultrasonic imaging device 200 and Figure 14 The description of the ultrasonic imaging device 400 is for convenience of description only and does not limit the present specification to the scope of the embodiments. It is understood that after understanding the principle of the system, those skilled in the art may arbitrarily combine the modules or form a subsystem connected with other modules without deviating from the principle. In some embodiments, Figure 14 The hybrid wave imaging mode determination module 410 and the hybrid wave imaging operation module 420 disclosed in the specification can be implemented in the ultrasound device 110, the server 120 and / or the ultrasound imaging device 200. In some embodiments, Figure 14 The combined wave imaging mode determination module 410 and the mixed wave imaging operation module 420 disclosed herein may be separate modules within a system, or a single module may implement the functions of two or more of the aforementioned modules. For example, the modules may share a storage module, or each module may have its own storage module. Such variations are within the scope of protection of this specification.

[0049] Figure 3FIG3 is an exemplary flow chart of an ultrasound imaging method 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 300 may be performed by the ultrasound device 110, the server 120, the ultrasound imaging device 200, and / or the ultrasound imaging apparatus 400. The ultrasound imaging method 300 may include the following steps.

[0050] Step 310 : Determine a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode based on information related to the imaging requirement. In some embodiments, step 310 may be performed by the hybrid wave imaging mode determination module 410 .

[0051] Step 320 , performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result. In some embodiments, step 320 may be performed by the mixed wave imaging operation module 420 .

[0052] Imaging requirements refer to the corresponding imaging requirements of different users (such as ultrasound detection personnel, ultrasound diagnostic doctors, etc.) in a certain imaging scenario. In some embodiments, imaging requirements may include requirements related to image quality and / or frame rate. In some embodiments, imaging requirements may include spatial resolution, contrast resolution, temporal resolution, image signal-to-noise ratio, frame rate, imaging speed, imaging time or any other feasible indicators that can reflect image quality and / or frame rate requirements. In some embodiments, information related to imaging requirements can be obtained by adjusting the corresponding imaging condition parameters in the ultrasound system. In some embodiments, the aforementioned imaging condition parameters may include image quality index data and / or frame rate index data. In some embodiments, information related to imaging requirements can be obtained by manually inputting requirement information, such as by receiving the user's imaging requirement adjustment instructions in real time.

[0053] The hybrid wave imaging mode refers to a specific imaging mode that can perform hybrid imaging of hybrid waves of different transmission beam types and / or different transmission frequencies on the scanned object. In some embodiments, the transmission beam type may include a focused wave and / or an unfocused wave, and / or any other feasible beam type. In some embodiments, the unfocused wave may include a plane wave, a diverging wave, a wide beam, or any other feasible unfocused beam type. In some embodiments, the hybrid wave imaging mode may include an imaging mode with the same transmission frequency and different transmission beam types, such as a hybrid wave imaging mode in which both the diverging wave and the focused wave have the same transmission frequency (e.g., 7.5 MHz). In some embodiments, the hybrid wave imaging mode may be an imaging mode with different transmission frequencies and the same transmission beam type, such as a hybrid wave imaging mode with two focused waves or two unfocused waves having transmission frequencies of 7.5 MHz and 5 MHz, respectively. In some embodiments, the hybrid wave imaging mode may be an imaging mode with different transmission frequencies and different transmission beam types, such as a hybrid wave imaging mode with a diverging wave having a transmission frequency of 7.5 MHz, a focused wave having a transmission frequency of 10 MHz, and a plane wave having a transmission frequency of 5 MHz. It should be noted that, for the hybrid wave imaging mode, there is no special limitation on the number of times that different types of transmission beams and / or corresponding transmission beams of different transmission frequencies are triggered. For example, in a specific hybrid wave transmission mode, a plane wave of the same transmission frequency can be triggered for imaging multiple times at multiple different time nodes or periods, or it can be triggered for imaging only once at one time node or period. For another example, diverging waves of different transmission frequencies can be triggered twice or more at different time nodes or periods. For another example, diverging waves, focused waves, and plane waves of different transmission frequencies are each triggered for imaging once. In addition, it should be noted that, for the hybrid wave imaging mode, there is no special limitation on the order in which different types of transmission beams and / or corresponding beams of different transmission frequencies are triggered for imaging. For example, the diverging wave is triggered first and then the focused wave. For another example, the diverging wave with a transmission frequency of 7.5 MHz is triggered first, then the focused wave with a transmission frequency of 10 MHz is triggered, and then the plane wave with a transmission frequency of 5 MHz is triggered, and so on.

[0054] In some embodiments, the hybrid wave imaging mode may include a first hybrid wave imaging mode and / or a second hybrid wave imaging mode. In some embodiments, the first hybrid wave imaging mode may include a full-aperture hybrid transmit operation, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode may include a moving-aperture hybrid transmit operation.

[0055] In some embodiments, full-aperture hybrid transmission can involve all apertures of the array element participating in transmission when transmitting focused and / or unfocused waves, thereby covering a wider scanning area. While combining the fast imaging speed, wide coverage area, uniform acoustic field, and reduced number of transmissions of unfocused waves to improve frame rates, image quality is enhanced by enhancing the energy of focused waves, thereby more effectively meeting the user's desired imaging needs. In some embodiments, full-aperture hybrid transmission can involve all apertures participating in transmission when transmitting unfocused waves, and a local aperture (i.e., a portion of the aperture) participating in transmission when transmitting focused waves (for example, focusing transmission on a specific area or region of interest where image quality is a priority). This allows for the rational allocation of resources, saving costs while meeting user imaging needs.

[0056] In some embodiments, a moving aperture mixed transmission operation may be a transmission operation in which all apertures or local apertures of an array element transmit according to corresponding mixed transmission order rules when transmitting focused waves and / or unfocused waves. In some embodiments, a moving aperture mixed transmission operation may be a transmission operation in which both focused waves (e.g., focused waves) and unfocused waves (e.g., diverging waves) are transmitted according to corresponding mixed transmission order procedures using local apertures. In some embodiments, during the moving aperture mixed transmission operation, focused waves and unfocused waves are alternately transmitted according to corresponding mixed transmission order procedures. In some embodiments, the aforementioned mixed transmission order rules or mixed transmission order procedures may include respective transmission time node settings for the focused waves and unfocused waves and / or alternating transmission time interval settings. The mobile aperture hybrid transmission operation mode transmits a specific combination sequence through different hybrid beams under the corresponding set transmission order rules. It not only performs favorable transmission scanning in focused areas (such as areas of interest) based on user imaging needs and combines the advantages of multiple beams, but also can obtain more rich-dimensional hybrid wave echo data, such as echo signal data, echo images or imaging data of multiple beams, which facilitates subsequent echo signal composite or image composite processing, and provides a guarantee for meeting the personalized imaging needs of different users in different scenarios.

[0057] Figure 4 An exemplary flow chart of performing corresponding mixed wave imaging operations according to a mixed wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of the present specification.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, in step 320, performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result may include the following two branch sub-steps:

[0059] Step 3201 triggers a mixed wave imaging operation in a first mixed wave imaging mode according to the mixed wave imaging mode, specifically including: determining a first focal position, where the first focal position satisfies a first focal boundary condition; determining first transmission parameters of the first mixed wave imaging mode according to the first focal position; and executing a full-aperture transmission operation of a first ultrasonic wave and a full-aperture transmission operation or a partial-aperture transmission operation of a second ultrasonic wave according to the first transmission parameters of the first mixed wave imaging mode to obtain first mixed wave echo data.

[0060] Step 3202 triggers a mixed wave imaging operation in a second mixed wave imaging mode according to the mixed wave imaging mode, including: determining a second focal position, where the second focal position satisfies a second focal boundary condition; determining second transmission parameters of the second mixed wave imaging mode according to the second focal position; and executing a moving aperture transmission operation of the first ultrasonic wave and a full aperture transmission operation or a partial aperture transmission operation of the second ultrasonic wave according to the second transmission parameters of the second mixed wave imaging mode to obtain second mixed wave echo data.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first focal position may include all focal arrangement positions and / or all focal positions of each transmission beam in the first hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second focal position may include all focal arrangement positions and / or all focal positions of each transmission beam in the second hybrid wave imaging mode. In some embodiments, the first focus may include a real focus and / or a virtual focus, and the second focus may include a real focus and / or a virtual focus. In some embodiments, the first focus may be located within the imaging area and / or outside the imaging area, and the second focus may be located within the imaging area and / or outside the imaging area. In some embodiments, the number of first foci may be one or more, and the number of second foci may be one or more. Exemplarily, the first focus or the second focus may include a plurality of (e.g., 10) real foci of focusing waves located within the imaging area and a plurality of (e.g., 8) virtual foci of diverging waves located outside the imaging area.

[0062] In some embodiments, the first transmission parameter may include the delay time and / or deflection angle of each of all focal points in the first hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second transmission parameter may include the delay time and / or deflection angle of each of all focal points in the second hybrid wave imaging mode. In some embodiments, the first ultrasonic wave may be an unfocused wave, and the second ultrasonic wave may be a focused wave. In some embodiments, the first hybrid wave echo data or the second hybrid wave echo data may include the respective echo data of different beams or the respective echo composite data of different beams. In some embodiments, the respective echo data of different beams may include the echo signal data or echo image data of the corresponding beam. In some embodiments, the respective echo composite data of different beams may be the echo composite data of the echo signals of the corresponding beams after beam synthesis.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first hybrid wave imaging mode or the second hybrid wave imaging mode may be triggered (or executed) separately. In some embodiments, the first hybrid wave imaging mode and the second hybrid wave imaging mode may be triggered simultaneously.

[0064] By triggering the first hybrid wave imaging mode or the second hybrid wave imaging mode, in each hybrid wave imaging mode, according to the corresponding emission characteristics of the full-aperture emission operation or the moving aperture emission operation, through the appropriate focus boundary conditions, the corresponding focus position and emission parameters that can effectively perform the full-aperture emission operation or the moving aperture emission operation are determined, so that the full-aperture emission operation or the moving aperture emission operation of the hybrid wave can be more advantageously performed under various user imaging requirements, thereby ensuring imaging efficiency.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first focus boundary condition and / or the second focus boundary condition are obtained in the following manner: determining the limit deflection angle and / or limit delay time of the transmitted beam in the first hybrid wave imaging mode and / or the second hybrid wave imaging mode according to the array element directivity limitation condition; determining the first focus boundary condition and / or the second focus boundary condition of the focus distribution inside and outside the imaging area according to the limit deflection angle and / or limit delay time.

[0066] In some embodiments, the array element directivity constraint may be a constraint determined based on an array element directivity function. In some embodiments, the array element directivity function may adopt a spatial distribution function (directivity diagram or directional characteristic function) that reflects the acoustic field radiated by the transmitting array element (or transducer) or the sensitivity of the receiving array element (or transducer). In some embodiments, the array element directivity constraint may be changed by setting or adjusting corresponding array element parameters (e.g., array element aperture, array element center distance, array element width, number of array elements, or array element transmission frequency, etc.). In some embodiments, the array element directivity function may be used to calculate the limit deflection angle and / or limit delay time of the transmit beam in the first hybrid wave imaging mode and / or the second hybrid wave imaging mode. In some embodiments, the array element directivity constraint for the first hybrid wave imaging mode and the second hybrid wave imaging mode may be the same. In some embodiments, the array element directivity constraint for the first hybrid wave imaging mode and the second hybrid wave imaging mode may be different. In some embodiments, the limit deflection angle and / or limit delay time of the transmit beam in the first hybrid wave imaging mode and the second hybrid wave imaging mode may be the same. In some embodiments, the limit deflection angle and / or limit delay time of the transmit beam in the first hybrid wave imaging mode may be different from that in the second hybrid wave imaging mode.

[0067] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is an example diagram of determining a limit deflection angle and a limit delay time according to array element directivity constraints as shown in some embodiments of this specification. Figures 7a to 7d This is an example diagram of the effect of angle scanning using a diverging wave beam according to some embodiments of this specification. Figure 8 This is an example diagram of determining the limit deflection angle and the limit delay time according to the array element directivity restriction conditions shown in some embodiments of this specification. It should be noted that, Figures 5 to 8 The calculation method of the limit deflection angle and the limit delay time in the example shown can be adopted in the first hybrid wave imaging mode and / or the second hybrid wave imaging mode.

[0068] Specifically, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in the figure, taking the plane wave beam and the diverging wave beam as examples, when the directional surface of the array element array and the sound beam scan are on the XOZ plane, a uniform excitation signal is applied to each element, and the direction of the plane beam main lobe sound beam generated is consistent with the positive direction of the Z axis. At this time, the deflection angle of the sound beam is 0. If a delay time with equal time difference is applied to adjacent elements, the plane beam direction will be deflected, and the deflection angle formed by the beam direction and the normal of the array is θ p , then the sound field directivity function Ds of the beam generated by the array element array can be expressed by the following formula (1):

[0069]

[0070] Where N is the number of array elements, d is the array element spacing, θ p is the beam deflection angle, and λ is the wavelength of the transmitted sound wave.

[0071] Then, the limit deflection angle corresponding to the maximum value of the directivity function Ds is derived, which can be calculated using the following formula (2):

[0072] θ i =arcsin(sinθ p ±lλ / d) (2)

[0073] When l = 0, θ p is the main maximum direction, l=1,2,…, the corresponding θ i is the direction where the maximum value of each grating lobe appears. When the beam direction is deflected, there is a maximum deflection angle due to directivity limitations.

[0074] In some embodiments, the deflection angle θ p The delay time may be between 0 and 12 degrees (inclusive). In some embodiments, the delay time may be between 0 and 20 microseconds (inclusive).

[0075] like Figure 5As shown in the figure, when the plane wave is emitted perpendicularly to the positive direction of the Z axis, the rectangular solid line area is the effective imaging area, and when the plane wave is emitted at an angle, the dotted parallelogram area is the effective imaging area. Figure 6 As can be seen from the divergent waves shown, under the premise of satisfying the above-mentioned array element directivity constraints, using the same beam deflection angle, the divergent wave covers a larger effective imaging range than the plane wave. Therefore, in some embodiments, the imaging process can preferably be combined with the use of divergent waves for angle scanning.

[0076] In some embodiments, the deflection angle of the plane wave beam can meet the above-mentioned array element directivity constraint conditions, so that the main lobe of the beam within the maximum deflection angle can maintain good sound field characteristics in the beam deflection direction, thereby reducing the presence of ultrasound imaging artifacts and improving imaging quality.

[0077] like Figures 7a to 7d As shown in Figure 2, when there is a large heterogeneous tissue in the measured medium of the scanned object, the echo signals caused by the transmission beams at different angles on the surface of the medium are also different. Figure 7a 、 7b In 7c, the interface perpendicular to the beam direction will form a stronger echo signal, so the outline perpendicular to the beam in the image is more obvious. Figure 7d When using multi-angle beams to transmit and synthesize an image, the image can contain more boundary information. Therefore, in some embodiments, a high-energy focused beam line scan image can be used as the base image, and a diverging beamformed image can be used as the deflection image to supplement the medium boundary information and suppress random noise, thereby ensuring image quality and improving the imaging frame rate.

[0078] The following uses diverging wave beam and focused wave beam as examples to illustrate how to calculate the limit deflection angle and limit delay time. Figure 8 The delay times shown are non-zero delay times.

[0079] Specifically, the delay time of the diverging wave beam can be calculated by the following formula (3):

[0080] TX DivergingDelay [i]=(F Di E i -F Di O)÷c (3)

[0081] The delay time of the focused wave beam can be calculated using the following formula (4):

[0082] TX FocalDelay [i]=(F Fi OF Fi E i )÷c (4)

[0083] Among them E i is the i-th array element in the aperture, F Di is the virtual focus, F Fi is the real focus, c is the speed of sound wave propagation in the medium; when point O is the center of the transmitting aperture, F Di When O is the direction of the divergent wave transmission beam, OF Fi To focus the wave emission beam direction, the virtual focus F Di and real focus F Fi Draw an arc as the center of the circle to obtain the wavefront reference lines of the diverging wave and the focusing wave, and the array element E i The delay time can be determined by the normal distance G from the wavefront reference line to the array element. D E i and wavefront reference point G D The Z coordinate of .

[0084] Specifically, when calculating the delay time of the diverging wave, if G D The Z coordinate is negative, and the calculated delay time is negative. At this time, G D E i The larger the distance, the earlier it will be launched; if G D The Z coordinate is positive, the calculated delay time is positive, G D E i The smaller the distance, the earlier it is emitted, and the wavefront formed tends to diffuse in the imaging area; while the delay time calculation of the focused wave is the opposite, and the wavefront formed tends to converge in the imaging area.

[0085] Assuming that the virtual and real focal points are symmetrical about the X-axis and both use full aperture for transmission, with the delay reference point as the aperture center, and in compliance with the corresponding directivity requirements, since the distance from the wavefront to each array element is the same, after the delay time is reset to zero (i.e., translated to zero moment), the maximum delay time of the focused wave and the diverging wave are the same. In other words, the maximum delay time is independent of the type of transmitted beam and is determined by the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the non-zeroed delay time, the sum of the distances from the focus to the nearest array element and the farthest array element, and the distance from the focus to the aperture center. Specifically, the maximum delay time of the diverging wave beam after zeroing can be calculated using the following formula (5):

[0086] Delay Divergingmax =(E j F Di +E n F Di -2×OF Di )÷c (5)

[0087] The maximum delay time after the focused wave beam returns to zero can be calculated using the following formula (6):

[0088] Delay Focalmax =(E j F Fi +E n F Fi -2×OF Fi )÷c (6)

[0089] Among them, E j is the array element closest to the focus, E n is the array element farthest from the focus.

[0090] In the first hybrid wave imaging mode and / or the second hybrid wave imaging mode, after the limit deflection angle and / or the limit delay time are determined, the first focus boundary condition and / or the second focus boundary condition of the focus distribution can be determined outside the imaging area.

[0091] In some embodiments, taking into account the characteristics of full-aperture transmission operation in the first hybrid wave imaging mode, the first focal boundary condition may include: the focus of the unfocused wave outside the imaging area is located on the first boundary line segment, the second boundary line segment, and / or is located in a V-shaped area away from the array element array and surrounded by the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment; the extension line of the first boundary line segment and the extension line of the second boundary line segment pass through the second end point of the array element array and the first end point of the array element array, respectively, and the angle between the extension line and the straight line perpendicular to the array element array is the extreme deflection angle.

[0092] In some embodiments, all foci of the unfocused wave can be arranged on the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment to ensure that when the unfocused wave beam is transmitted, under the array element directivity constraints of its extreme deflection angle or extreme delay time, the transmission of all foci of the unfocused wave can perform full-aperture transmission operation, so that each focus can cover a wider scanning range each time it is transmitted (for example, at least covering the imaging area or a wider area larger than the imaging area). In some embodiments, a portion of the foci of the unfocused wave can be arranged on the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment, and the remaining foci can be arranged in a V-shaped area away from the array element array and surrounded by the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment. This arrangement can ensure that the transmission of some foci of the unfocused wave can perform full-aperture transmission operation. Since the unfocused wave itself has the characteristic of wide coverage, even if some foci perform full-aperture transmission operation, the overall imaging effect can still be improved in terms of image quality and frame rate to meet the user's responsive imaging needs.

[0093] In some embodiments, the focused wave can be arranged uniformly or unevenly within the imaging region, such that the focus of the focused wave performs full-aperture or partial-aperture transmission during transmission. In some embodiments, the focused wave can perform full-aperture transmission as follows: the two outermost real focal points of the focused wave can correspond to the two end elements of the array element array, and all elements are configured with corresponding real focal points for transmission. That is, the imaging region when the focused wave performs full-aperture transmission can cover all array elements. In some embodiments, when performing full-aperture transmission, the focused wave can be scanned line by line in a predetermined order based on the set real focal points. In some embodiments, when performing full-aperture transmission, the focused wave can be transmitted alternately based on the set real focal points with the unfocused wave transmitted based on the set virtual focal points.

[0094] In some embodiments, the focused wave can be transmitted with a partial aperture in the following manner: the two outermost real foci of the focused wave can correspond to the two end elements of the array element array, and only a portion (or a part) of the array elements have corresponding real foci for transmission. That is, the imaging area when the focused wave is transmitting with a partial aperture can cover a specific portion of the array elements. In some embodiments, the focused wave can be transmitted with a partial aperture in the following manner: the two outermost real foci of the focused wave can correspond to non-end elements of the array element array, and only a portion (or a part) of the array elements have corresponding real foci for transmission. That is, the imaging area when the focused wave is transmitting with a partial aperture can cover a specific portion of the array elements. In some embodiments, when performing partial aperture transmission, the focused wave can be transmitted line by line (or scanned line by line) in a predetermined order based on the set real foci. In some embodiments, when performing partial aperture transmission, the focused wave can be transmitted alternately based on the set real foci and the unfocused wave can be transmitted based on the set virtual foci.

[0095] In the first hybrid wave imaging mode, the corresponding focus positions are arranged according to the first focus boundary conditions, so that all or part of the focuses of the non-focused wave can cover a wider transmission scanning range under the conditions of the array element directivity that meets its extreme deflection angle or extreme delay time. For example, the echo data obtained by transmitting all the focuses of the non-focused wave is used as the basic image, and the echo data obtained by transmitting all the focuses of the focused wave is used as the enhanced image. Obviously, while ensuring higher image quality in the imaging area, the number of transmissions can be greatly reduced, the transmission time is reduced, and the imaging speed is increased. The frame rate of the overall imaging will obviously be improved, thereby improving the overall imaging efficiency and meeting the user's high imaging needs (such as imaging scenes of moving tissues such as the heart that require high frame rate imaging).

[0096] Figure 9 This is an example of the focus distribution mode in the hybrid wave imaging mode shown in some embodiments of this specification. Figure 9In the embodiment, one or more rows of transducer arrays (i.e., one-dimensional arrays or multi-dimensional arrays) are arranged along the X-axis, with the focus of the focused wave located above the array (i.e., below the X-axis), and the focus of the unfocused wave (e.g., diverging wave) located below the array (i.e., above the X-axis). For example, determining the focal position, focus deflection angle, or delay time of the first hybrid wave imaging mode based on the first focus boundary condition can be implemented as follows.

[0097] like Figure 9 As shown, when using diverging waves for transmission, the element directivity constraint determines that the angle at which no acoustic wave aliasing occurs satisfies sin(︱θ︱)≤λ / 2l, where λ is the wavelength of the acoustic wave and l is the width of the element in the transducer. In order to obtain a stronger echo signal, all elements are selected for full-aperture transmission. For example, the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment of the first focus boundary condition can be determined as follows: Then the second endpoint E of the element array is n , the first end point E1 of the array element is connected to the negative direction of the Z axis with an angle of θ (i.e., the limit deflection angle) by connecting lines AM and BL, and the intersection of the connecting lines is F Dc When the angle between the line from the focus to the aperture boundary and the positive direction of the Z axis is less than or equal to the maximum deflection angle, the range covered by the aperture is the effective imaging area, and the intersection point F Dc is the critical point, AF Dc and BF Dc The left and right boundaries are the first and second boundary segments respectively, if and only if the focus is at AF Dc When the focus is within the V-shaped area (away from the array element direction) surrounded by B (including the boundary of the first boundary segment and the boundary of the second boundary segment), the full aperture emission can be used to cover the entire rectangular area below the array element. If the focus is not within this area, the line connecting the focus to the aperture boundary and the line connecting the negative direction of the Z axis (vertical lines AE1 and BE) are perpendicular to each other. n ) That is, the angle may be greater than θ.

[0098] When the focus is on AF Dc When inside area B, such as focus F Dj ', the line connecting the focus and the aperture center O intersects AM at F Dj , distance F Dj 'O>F Dj O, but at this time the focus F Dj The effective imaging range covered by the boundary line connecting 'O and the transducer array becomes smaller. Selecting the points on the first boundary line segment and the second boundary line segment as the focus can ensure that each transmission can cover a larger imaging area. Therefore, when setting the focus, you can choose to place the focus on the first boundary line segment AF Dc and the second boundary segment BF DcThe virtual focus F can also be calculated by the following linear equations: Dj The line connecting the ' and the aperture center O is on the boundary line A FDc Focus F on Dj , and use the calculated focus F Dj To calculate the launch delay time. Di When the focus is emitted, the focus F Di The direction pointing to the aperture center O is the main direction of the beam, and the angle α between it and the positive direction of the Z axis is the deflection angle of the beam. Different focal positions above the array will provide transmit beams with different deflection angles.

[0099] Assumption F Dj The coordinates of ' are (XF Dj ', YF Dj '), the number of probe array elements is N, the array element spacing is d, then the straight line OF Dj The linear equations of ' and AM are as follows (7):

[0100]

[0101] In some embodiments, the focus above the array element array (above the X axis) is determined and set as a virtual focus, and the focus below the array element array (below the X axis) is determined and set as a real focus. For example, Figure 9 As shown, several real focal points corresponding to a local array of array elements are evenly arranged within the imaging area. When transmitting based on the real focal points, local aperture transmission can be performed in a line-by-line or alternating manner. In some embodiments, the number of deflection angles can be determined based on the number of virtual focal points to set or adjust the amount of medium boundary information that can be captured in an image. In some embodiments, the transmission line density can be set or adjusted based on the number of real focal points. This allows for adjustments to the image quality or frame rate of the base image through the reception line density, which in turn affects the final image.

[0102] In some embodiments, the number of aperture elements can be calculated using the following formula (8):

[0103]

[0104] In some embodiments, the focused wave beam is transmitted using a real focus for line-by-line scanning (eg, from one end of the array element to the other end) to form a base image, and the unfocused wave beam is transmitted using a virtual focus to form a superimposed image.

[0105] In some embodiments, in step 320, performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result may include the following sub-steps:

[0106] A compounding operation is performed on the first mixed wave echo data and / or the second mixed wave echo data, where the compounding operation includes at least one of line compounding, space compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding, or a combination of several of them.

[0107] In some embodiments, at least one of line compounding, spatial compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding, or a combination thereof, can be performed based on coherence information of the first mixed wave echo data and / or the second mixed wave echo data. In some embodiments, at least one of line compounding, spatial compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding, or a combination thereof, can be performed using any feasible manner or means, and the embodiments of the present application are not particularly limited thereto.

[0108] According to the imaging needs of different users in different imaging scenarios, by using the reasonable configuration of image compounding operations such as line compounding, spatial compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding alone or in combination, more deflection scanning information can be obtained and random noise can be effectively suppressed, thereby improving imaging efficiency in terms of both image quality and frame rate.

[0109] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of emission imaging according to the first hybrid wave imaging mode shown in some embodiments of this specification.

[0110] Combine Figure 9 and Figure 10 In some embodiments, the focused wave can be transmitted using a partial aperture, while the diverging wave can be transmitted using a full aperture. The focused wave can be scanned line by line first, and then the diverging wave can be scanned angle by angle. The echo data of each emission of the focused wave is only formed into m lines through beam synthesis (such as Figure 10 Where m is 4), all n*m lines are finally synthesized into a line scan image; while the divergent wave uses full aperture transmission and the array probe covers the effective imaging area, a single transmission can synthesize an image (composed of n*m lines of the divergent wave beam).

[0111] In some embodiments, the composite operation of the first hybrid wave echo data can be implemented as follows: taking into account the correlation between adjacent transmissions, calculating cumulative weights for each transmission, and performing coherent composite or incoherent composite by setting corresponding weighting coefficients to obtain an image. In some embodiments, the coherent composite or incoherent composite can be performed using an image-to-image composite method.

[0112] For example, assuming that the number of focused wave foci is n and the number of divergent wave foci is k, each focus corresponds to one emission, and the k adjacent emissions of the divergent wave have mutually overlapping or overlapping areas, then its coherence can be utilized, and the demodulated complex data can be used to perform coherent recombination between adjacent emissions. The weighting coefficient of each pixel can be calculated using coherent methods such as phase coherence coefficient, sign coherence coefficient, and short-order spatial coherence coefficient. The weighting coefficient is applied in coherent superposition to utilize the coherence between adjacent emissions, and all divergent wave deflection (deflection angle) images are composited into an image. The n adjacent emissions of the focused beam do not involve regional coverage or overlap, and all lines are synthesized into an image. Finally, the divergent wave image and the focused wave image are incoherently composited in the real number domain to obtain the final imaging image.

[0113] In some embodiments, taking into account the characteristics of full-aperture transmission operation in the second hybrid wave imaging mode, the second focal boundary condition may include: the focus of the unfocused wave outside the imaging area is located between a first boundary point and a second boundary point, the first boundary point is located on a first reference line and a second reference line, the first reference line passes through the first end real focus in the imaging area and the angle between it and a vertical line passing through the first end point of the array element array is a limit deflection angle, the second reference line passes through the second end point of the array element array and the angle between it and a vertical line passing through the second end point of the array element array is a limit deflection angle; the second boundary point is located on a third reference line and a fourth reference line, the third reference line passes through the second end real focus in the imaging area and the angle between it and a vertical line passing through the second end point of the array element array is a limit deflection angle, and the fourth reference line passes through the first end point of the array element array and the angle between it and a vertical line passing through the first end point of the array element array is a limit deflection angle.

[0114] In some embodiments, all foci of the non-focused wave can be arranged between the first boundary point and the second boundary point to ensure that when the non-focused wave beam is transmitted, under the array element directivity constraints of its extreme deflection angle or extreme delay time, the transmission of all foci of the non-focused wave can perform a local aperture mobile aperture transmission operation, so that each focus can cover the predetermined scanning range each time it is transmitted. In some embodiments, the foci at both ends of the non-focused wave can be arranged at the first boundary point and the second boundary point, and the remaining foci can be arranged in the area between the first boundary point and the second boundary point. This arrangement can ensure that all foci of the non-focused wave can perform a local aperture transmission operation. Since the non-focused wave itself has the characteristic of a wide coverage range, even if the focus performs a local aperture mobile aperture transmission operation, although the coverage of the imaging area is slightly smaller than that of the full aperture transmission operation, the overall imaging effect can still be improved in terms of image quality and frame rate, and meet the user's responsive imaging needs.

[0115] In some embodiments, the focused wave can be arranged uniformly or unevenly within the imaging region, such that the focus of the focused wave performs full-aperture or partial-aperture transmission during transmission. In some embodiments, the focused wave can perform full-aperture transmission as follows: the two outermost real focal points of the focused wave can correspond to the two end elements of the array element array, and all elements are configured with corresponding real focal points for transmission. That is, the imaging region when the focused wave performs full-aperture transmission can cover all array elements. In some embodiments, when performing full-aperture transmission, the focused wave can be scanned line by line in a predetermined order based on the set real focal points. In some embodiments, when performing full-aperture transmission, the focused wave can be transmitted alternately based on the set real focal points with the unfocused wave transmitted based on the set virtual focal points.

[0116] In some embodiments, the focused wave can be transmitted using a partial aperture in the following manner: the two outermost real foci of the focused wave can correspond to the two end elements of the array element array, and only a portion (or a part) of the array elements have corresponding real foci for transmission. That is, the imaging area when the focused wave is transmitting using a partial aperture can cover a specific portion of the array elements. In some embodiments, the focused wave can be transmitted using a partial aperture in the following manner: the two outermost real foci of the focused wave can correspond to non-end elements of the array element array, and only a portion (or a part) of the array elements have corresponding real foci for transmission. That is, the imaging area when the focused wave is transmitting using a partial aperture can cover a specific portion of the array elements. In some embodiments, when transmitting using a partial aperture, the focused wave can be transmitted line by line in a predetermined order based on the set real foci. In some embodiments, when transmitting using a partial aperture, the focused wave can be transmitted alternately based on the set real foci and the unfocused wave can be transmitted based on the set virtual foci.

[0117] In the second hybrid wave imaging mode, the corresponding focal positions are arranged according to the second focal boundary conditions, so that all or part of the focuses of the non-focused waves can cover the predetermined transmission scanning range under the conditions of the array element directivity that meets its extreme deflection angle or extreme delay time. For example, the echo data obtained by transmitting all the focuses of the focused wave is used as the basic image, and the echo data obtained by transmitting all the focuses of the non-focused wave is used as the enhanced image. It can also ensure higher image quality in the imaging area while reducing the number of transmissions, shortening the transmission time and thus improving the imaging speed. The frame rate of the overall imaging will obviously also be improved, thereby improving the overall imaging efficiency and meeting the specific imaging needs of users.

[0118] Figure 11 This is an example of the focus distribution mode in the hybrid wave imaging mode shown in some embodiments of this specification. Figure 11 In the embodiment, one or more rows of transducer array elements (i.e., one-dimensional array element array or multi-dimensional array element array) are arranged along the X-axis, and the focus of the focused wave is located above the array element array (below the X-axis). For example, Figure 11 As shown, several real focal points corresponding to local array elements are evenly arranged within the imaging area. When transmitting based on these real focal points, local aperture transmission can be performed in a line-by-line or alternating manner. The focus of unfocused waves (such as diverging waves) is located below the array element array (i.e., above the X-axis). For example, the focus position, focus deflection angle, or delay time of the second hybrid wave imaging mode can be determined based on the second focus boundary condition, which can be implemented as follows.

[0119] like Figure 11 As shown, the focus of the non-focused wave outside the imaging area (above the X axis) is located between the first boundary point U and the second boundary point V, and the first boundary point U is located on the first reference line UF Fn and the second reference line BL, the first reference line UF Fn The second end real focus F passing through the imaging area Fn And through the second end point E of the array element n The angle between the second reference line BL and the vertical line passing through the first end point E1 of the array element array and the angle between the second reference line BL and the vertical line passing through the first end point E1 of the array element array is the limit deflection angle θ; the second boundary point V is located on the third reference line F F1 V and the fourth reference line AM, the third reference line F F1 V passes through the first real focus F in the imaging area (below the X axis) F1 The angle between the fourth reference line AM and the vertical line passing through the first end point E1 of the array element array is the limit deflection angle θ. The fourth reference line AM passes through the second end point E n And through the second end point E of the array element n The angle between the vertical line and the limit deflection angle θ is θ.

[0120] Exemplarily, determining the first boundary point U and the second boundary point V may be performed as follows:

[0121] Draw a straight line E1F perpendicular to the array element array (i.e., the X axis in the figure) through the first end point E1 of the array element array. F1 , and then with the straight line E1F F1 The included angle is θ and a second reference line BL is determined outside the imaging area (i.e., in the negative direction of the z axis) passing through the second end point E of the array element. n Draw a straight line E perpendicular to the array of elements n F Fn , and then with the straight line E1 F F1 The included angle is θ. The fourth reference line AM is determined outside the imaging area (i.e., the negative direction of the z axis), and then passes through the first end real focus (i.e., the leftmost real focus) F F1 Draw a parallel line to BL (the third reference line F F1V) so that it intersects the fourth reference line AM at point V, and then passes through the second end real focus (i.e. the rightmost real focus) F Fn Draw a parallel line to AM (i.e. the fourth reference line) (i.e. the first reference line UF Fn ) intersects the second reference line BL at point U. The determined points U and V are the first boundary point and the second boundary point of the second focus boundary condition of the unfocused wave. Exemplarily, all virtual foci of the unfocused wave can be evenly or unevenly distributed along the line between point U and point V, so that the virtual foci can be limited by the array element directivity constraint, so that the effective imaging area can cover all real foci, that is, the intersection area under the lines UL and VM.

[0122] In some embodiments, other virtual foci are evenly distributed between point U and point V, which are the first boundary point and the second boundary point, and the number of virtual and real foci is ensured to be the same.

[0123] In some embodiments, the leftmost real focus F may be connected F1 The line connecting the leftmost imaginary focus U intersects the transducer array at point P. Set P as the center of the aperture when the non-focused wave is emitted. The focused wave is emitted vertically downward with the array element closest to the focus as the center of the aperture when the focused wave is emitted and focused on the real focus F. F1 That is, the line connecting the focus and the aperture center is the main direction of the beam. If the aperture center of the first emission line of the focused wave is E1, then E1F F1 is the main direction of the focused wave, vertically downward; P is the aperture center of the non-focused wave (such as the divergent wave), and UP is the main direction of the non-focused wave; when any virtual focus between point U and point V is the focus, the position of the aperture center P needs to be moved so that F Di , P, F F1 In a straight line. In this way, any virtual focus between point U and point V (including point U and point V) is the focus, and the center beam of the non-focused wave beam passes through the real focus F F1 , so that the two beams can form a good sound field distribution at the real focus.

[0124] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of emission imaging of the second hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0125] In some embodiments, as Figure 12 As shown, the focused wave and the divergent wave are emitted alternately during the emission. For example, the focus emission sequence can be set as: real focus T F1 , virtual focus T D1 , real focus T F2 、T D2 …. When beam synthesis and spatial compounding are performed on each beam, the focused beam T FiEach time, m receiving lines are formed, and the divergent beam T Di The number of scan lines formed each time is determined by the number of real focal points in the area vertically below the aperture element. If there are k real focal points below the aperture element, the divergent beam T Di k*m lines can be synthesized at a time.

[0126] In some embodiments, the compounding operation of the second mixed wave echo data can be implemented as follows: determining the weight coefficient of the second mixed wave echo data based on the coherence information of the second mixed wave echo data; and performing coherent compounding and / or incoherent compounding based on the weight coefficient of the second mixed wave echo data.

[0127] For example, unlike the corresponding recombination in a full-aperture transmission operation, when a moving aperture transmits a diverging wave, the center of the main direction of the beam passes through the real focal area. When coherent recombination is performed, the following two recombination methods can be used:

[0128] The first coherent recombination method uses the recombination between adjacent transmissions, such as taking T F1 The synthesized m lines, then from T D1 The m lines with deflection information at the corresponding positions in the synthesized k*m lines are adjacent to each other. Since these two transmissions are adjacent, the coherence coefficient (i.e., coherence information) of the m lines overlapping at these positions can be calculated. For example, the phase coherence coefficient, sign coherence coefficient, short-order spatial coherence coefficient, etc. can be used. The respective weight coefficients can be determined by the coherence coefficients, and then the new m lines are obtained as components of the composite image through weighted coherent superposition. As long as the transmission is adjacent, the composite can be performed. In the example, the focused wave and the divergent wave are transmitted alternately. At this time, the coherent composite is between the scanning lines of the focused wave and the divergent wave, such as T F1 With T D1 Composite, T D1 With T F2 Compounding, so n real focuses and n virtual focuses are compounded 2*n-1 times in total, and finally a composite image with m*n lines is synthesized through coherent compounding;

[0129] The second coherent recombination method utilizes recombination between virtual focal point emissions. Each diverging wave emitted from a focal point forms multiple lines, with overlapping regions between the different emissions. The coherence coefficient of each pixel is calculated within the overlapping region, and the respective weighting coefficients are determined from the coherence coefficients. The coherent recombination of these weighted coefficients yields a coherently composited diverging wave image. Coherent recombination of the diverging waves suppresses random noise in anechoic regions while providing diverse information about the medium under off-angle scanning.

[0130] The images obtained by coherent compounding all obtain information under multiple deflection scanning angles, and the compounding process suppresses some random noise and enhances the amount of information of the medium under deflection scanning. On this basis, the two coherent composite images are further incoherently compounded through corresponding weight configuration, which can further improve the imaging speed of the system and improve the imaging efficiency as a whole, and can meet the user's imaging requirements for image quality and frame rate.

[0131] In some embodiments, in step 320, performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result may include the following sub-steps:

[0132] The mixed wave imaging operation in the third mixed wave imaging mode is triggered according to the mixed wave imaging mode, and specifically can be implemented as follows: respectively transmitting a non-focused wave of the first transmission frequency, a focused wave of the second transmission frequency, and a harmonic of the third transmission frequency to obtain corresponding first non-focused wave imaging data, second focused wave imaging data, and third harmonic imaging data; and performing coherent and / or incoherent composite image composite operations on the first non-focused wave imaging data, the second focused wave imaging data, and the third harmonic imaging data.

[0133] In some embodiments, the hybrid wave imaging operation in the third hybrid wave imaging mode can be implemented as follows: three different transmission frequencies (for example, center frequencies, represented by f1, f2, and f3, respectively) can be preset according to information related to imaging requirements to transmit ultrasonic waves, wherein N1 (N1>=1) frames of wide beams are transmitted with f1 as the center frequency and imaging is received, and the N1 frames of non-focused wave images are subjected to frame averaging processing to obtain first non-focused wave imaging data; focused wave beam signals are transmitted with f2 as the center frequency and imaging is received to obtain second focused wave imaging data; focused wave beam signals with the same amplitude and two phase differences of 180 degrees are transmitted and received in succession with f3 as the center frequency, and the received signals of the two pulses are summed to perform harmonic imaging to obtain third harmonic imaging data; finally, a coherent composite or incoherent composite image composite operation is performed to obtain a composite imaging image.

[0134] Exemplarily, the hybrid wave imaging operation in the third hybrid wave imaging mode may include the following steps:

[0135] The ultrasonic array probe sequentially transmits and receives N1 frames of 7.5 MHz wide beam signals, images the received N frames of radio frequency data, and performs frame averaging on the N1 frames of data to obtain image I1;

[0136] The ultrasonic array probe transmits and receives a 10 MHz focused wave beam signal, and images the received radio frequency data to obtain image I2;

[0137] The ultrasonic array probe sequentially transmits and receives focused wave beam signals with the same amplitude, a phase difference of 180 degrees, and a frequency of 5 MHz, and sums the two sets of received radio frequency signals; then, the summed data is imaged to obtain image I3;

[0138] The images I1, I2, and I3 are incoherently weighted composited to obtain the image Image, which can be specifically calculated using the following formula: Image = w1*I1+w2*I2+w3*I3, where w1, w2, and w3 represent weight coefficients, and w1, w2, and w3 are all positive numbers.

[0139] In some embodiments, w1, w2, and w3 may be empirical constants determined based on experience, and their value ranges are not particularly limited. In some embodiments, a user may adjust the values ​​of w1, w2, and w3 based on specific imaging requirements or desired imaging effects. For example, if a user wishes to achieve better quality in the focused area while ensuring clarity of the entire image, the differences between w1, w2, and w3 may be set within a smaller range, for example, w1 = 1, w2 = 1.5, and w3 = 1.5.

[0140] Figures 13a to 13c 1 is an example diagram of the sound pressure distribution of an ultrasonic beam in a hybrid wave imaging mode according to some embodiments of this specification. The sound pressure distribution diagram can be obtained through Field II simulation.

[0141] Specifically, Figure 13a The 7.5MHz wide beam sound pressure distribution is shown. Figure 13b The figure shows the sound pressure distribution of a 10MHz focused beam. The dotted area in the figure is the area with higher sound pressure, which means that the image depth is shallow in the focused beam with higher frequencies, with less attenuation and more information retained. Figure 13c The figure shows the 5MHz harmonic sound pressure distribution. The dotted area in the figure represents the area with higher sound pressure. It can be seen that in the harmonic imaging mode, the image depth is less attenuated in deeper areas and more information is retained. From the sound pressure distribution of the three, it can be seen that after the different frequency mixed waves are combined in the mixed wave imaging mode, the higher frequency components can improve the image quality of the shallow areas of the image, and the composite harmonic frequency components can improve the spatial resolution of the deep areas of the image, thereby reducing speckle noise without losing resolution and improving the image quality of the final image. At the same time, because the wide-beam imaging transmission can cover the entire imaging area, the echo data of the entire imaging area can be obtained through a single transmission and reception. Compared with traditional pure focused imaging, the number of ultrasonic transmissions is reduced, which greatly improves the imaging frame rate.

[0142] In addition, in some embodiments, the personalized image quality and frame rate requirements of multiple imaging scenarios can be targeted through various combination settings of frequency and ultrasonic beam type. For example, when more attention is paid to image quality, the same beam type (such as a wide beam) of different frequencies can be mixed, thereby greatly improving the user's imaging operation experience.

[0143] In some embodiments, tissue motion information of a subject (e.g., an organ of a patient) can be obtained, and parameters of the focused wave and / or the unfocused wave can be determined based on the tissue motion information. In some embodiments, a tracer, tracking agent, or contrast agent can be used to track the tissue of the subject to obtain tissue motion information. In some embodiments, tissue motion information of the subject can be detected and obtained using sensors (e.g., position sensors) provided on an array probe. In some embodiments, the tissue motion information of the subject can be the velocity of the tissue boundary. In some embodiments, the parameters of the focused wave and / or the unfocused wave can be the number of images required to be transmitted for each of the focused wave and / or the unfocused wave and / or a parameter for the ratio of the two.

[0144] In some embodiments, to better meet the imaging needs of user-specific scenarios, image quality and / or frame rate requirements can be used together with tissue motion information of the scanned area as the basis for determining the hybrid wave imaging mode. Alternatively, specific imaging requirements for corresponding image quality and / or frame rate can be determined based on the tissue motion information of the scanned (or examined) area, and the hybrid wave imaging mode can be adjusted based on the imaging requirements, such as adjusting the ratio of focused to unfocused wave emissions. In some embodiments, the aforementioned user-specific scenarios can be imaging scenarios with significant tissue motion information, or functional tissue imaging scenarios with high frame rate requirements, such as cardiac angiography imaging scenarios and vascular detection scanning imaging scenarios.

[0145] In some embodiments, the ultrasound imaging system 100, ultrasound imaging device 200, or ultrasound imaging apparatus 400 can adaptively adjust the transmit beam. During imaging scanning, when the position sensor at the array probe detects that the position of the array probe is relatively stable, the system first analyzes the echo signal by transmitting several full-aperture divergent waves to extract tissue movement velocity information of the scanned area. The system also estimates the required frame rate for the scanned area based on the selected scanned area and velocity information. If a higher imaging frame rate is required, the number of focused wave line scans is reduced in subsequent transmissions, while the number of unfocused wave scans is increased. The ratio of the transmitted focused and unfocused waves is automatically adjusted based on the tissue movement information of the scanned area, thereby achieving the effect of automatically controlling the frame rate.

[0146] Exemplarily, in a cardiac angiography imaging scenario, the ultrasonic imaging system 100, the ultrasonic imaging device 200 or the ultrasonic imaging apparatus 400 acquires an adapted array probe and system preset parameters of the part to be scanned. When the array probe is located at the measured part, the position sensor and the temperature sensor of the array probe feedback signals to the system. At this time, the system performs divergent wave imaging at the highest frame rate to obtain tissue images at different times. By detecting the reflection boundaries in each frame of the image, the displacement size s of the tissue boundary is estimated. Through the displacement distance and the frame interval time t, the movement speed v of the tissue boundary is estimated as v = s÷t, which is the tissue displacement per unit time. Assuming that the minimum displacement to be tracked by the system is h, the time for the minimum displacement can be obtained as tmin = h / s, and the maximum time for forming a frame is tmin. Accordingly, the system can ensure that the time for forming a frame does not exceed tmin by controlling the ratio of the divergent wave to the focused wave. Assuming that the time required for forming a focused wave image is tF, the time required for forming a divergent wave image is tD, and the system controls that the number of divergent wave images for compounding is x and the number of focused wave images is y. By adjusting the values of x and y, ensure that x*tD + y*tF < tmin. When the heart rate of the measured person accelerates or slows down due to certain external factors during the scanning interval, that is, the tissue movement information changes, the system can repeat the above process through callback to perform automatic frame rate adjustment, maximizing the adjustment and optimization of the imaging performance of the system.

[0147] Traditional blood flow detection and 2D scanning require emission pulses of different center frequencies. Therefore, when the system emits, it needs to perform duplex emission for the two emissions and perform corresponding processing on the received data. Since the two emissions are not carried out simultaneously, and blood flow detection requires multiple emissions to detect blood flow once, the detected blood flow is not in real-time consistency with the 2D background.

[0148] Exemplarily, in a vascular detection scanning imaging scenario, the ultrasonic imaging system 100, the ultrasonic imaging device 200 or the ultrasonic imaging apparatus 400 can use hybrid emission to detect blood flow through divergent waves. Emitting multiple divergent waves can detect blood flow at all points in the effective area covered by the divergent waves, rather than only detecting the blood flow change on a single line. This can effectively improve the frame rate of blood flow detection, narrow the time gap with the 2D mode, and finally achieve fusion, thus achieving the frame rate matching between functional imaging and 2D scanning imaging and improving the real-time consistency between functional imaging and 2D scanning imaging.

[0149] The mixed-wave imaging mode is applied to corresponding scenarios with high frame rate requirements or significant characteristics of tissue motion information. A single emission of an unfocused wave (such as a diverging wave) can form a wide-range image data. Combining unfocused waves with focused waves can significantly reduce the number of transmissions of the system in the mixed-wave imaging mode. By using focused waves to image the entire area or emitting focused waves multiple times, the temporal phase change information of each point in the image can also be obtained, which can be used to evaluate cardiac tissue motion or vascular blood flow, and can ensure the quality of the imaging image.

[0150] Figure 14 4 is an example diagram of the composition structure of the ultrasonic imaging device 400 shown in some embodiments of this specification.

[0151] like Figure 14 As shown, the ultrasonic imaging device 400 may include a mixed wave imaging mode determination module 410 and a mixed wave imaging operation module 420. The mixed wave imaging mode determination module 410 may be used to determine a corresponding mixed wave imaging mode based on information related to imaging requirements. The mixed wave imaging operation module 420 may be used to perform a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation based on the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain a corresponding imaging result; wherein the imaging requirements may at least include requirements related to image quality and / or frame rate, and the mixed wave imaging operation may at least utilize mixed waves of different transmit beam types and / or different transmit frequencies for imaging, and the transmit beam type may at least include focused waves and / or unfocused waves. As for the ultrasonic imaging process executed by the ultrasonic imaging device 400 or the mixed wave imaging mode determination process of the mixed wave imaging mode determination module 410 and the mixed wave imaging operation process of the mixed wave imaging operation module 420, please refer to the relevant description of the ultrasonic imaging method 300 described in any of the above embodiments for details, and no further details will be given here.

[0152] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions. When the computer reads the computer instructions in the storage medium, the computer executes the ultrasound imaging method 300 as described in any of the above embodiments. For the specific implementation process, please refer to the relevant description of the embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0153] The ultrasonic imaging method, device and computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art: (1) by comprehensively considering the imaging needs of users including image quality and / or frame rate, effective resource allocation is performed through the use of hybrid wave emission and its multiple composite means, the optimal hybrid wave imaging mode is determined, and then the imaging operation is completed in the hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain optimized imaging results, thereby improving the overall imaging efficiency, meeting the user's expected imaging needs, and greatly improving the user experience; (2) through the full-aperture hybrid emission operation in the hybrid wave imaging mode, a larger scanning area is covered, while the frame rate is improved by combining the fast imaging speed of non-focused waves, wide coverage area, uniform sound field and fewer emission times. (3) Through the mobile aperture operation mode in the hybrid wave imaging mode, it is possible to perform favorable emission scanning in the focus area (such as the area of ​​interest) according to the user's imaging needs and combine the advantages of multiple beams to obtain more dimensional hybrid wave echo data, which is convenient for subsequent echo signal compounding or image compounding processing, and provides guarantees for meeting the personalized imaging needs of different users in different scenarios; (4) According to the imaging needs of different users in different imaging scenarios, through the reasonable configuration of image compounding operations such as line compounding, space compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding, more deflection scanning information can be obtained, and random noise can be effectively suppressed, thereby improving imaging efficiency in terms of both image quality and frame rate.

[0154] While the basic concepts have been described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the detailed disclosure is merely illustrative and does not limit this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, various modifications, improvements, and revisions to this specification may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications, improvements, and revisions are suggested in this specification and remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this specification.

[0155] This specification also uses specific terms to describe the embodiments of this specification. For example, "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" two or more times in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of this specification may be appropriately combined.

[0156] In addition, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of the processing elements and sequences, the use of alphanumeric characters, or the use of other names described in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods of this specification. Although the above disclosure discusses some of the invention embodiments currently considered useful through various examples, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that are consistent with the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this specification. For example, although the system components described above can be implemented by hardware devices, they can also be implemented only by software solutions, such as installing the described system on an existing server or mobile device.

[0157] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the presentation of this specification and thus facilitate understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments of this specification sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of this specification requires more features than those recited in the claims. In fact, an embodiment may have fewer features than all of the features of a single disclosed embodiment.

[0158] In some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may vary depending on the desired features of individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account the specified number of significant digits and adopt a general method of retaining digits. Although the numerical domains and parameters used to confirm the breadth of their range in some embodiments of this specification are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the setting of such numerical values ​​is as accurate as possible within the feasible range.

[0159] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are intended only to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of this specification. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, by way of example and not limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this specification may be considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments of this specification are not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and illustrated in this specification.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: include: a memory storing an instruction set, the instruction set including an imaging requirement adjustment instruction, A probe, configured to adjust instructions for transmitting different beams based on the imaging requirements; as well as The processor in communication with the memory, when executing the imaging requirement adjustment instruction, is configured to cause the ultrasonic imaging device to execute a corresponding mixed wave imaging mode, including: Performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain an imaging result after the corresponding composite operation; The hybrid wave imaging operation includes performing imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, wherein the different transmit beam types include at least focused waves and unfocused waves; The hybrid wave imaging mode includes a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation; during the moving aperture hybrid transmission operation, the focused wave and the unfocused wave are alternately transmitted according to a hybrid transmission order.

2. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 1, wherein The hybrid wave imaging mode also includes a first hybrid wave imaging mode including a full-aperture hybrid transmit operation.

3. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 2, wherein: In order to perform a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode and obtain an imaging result after a corresponding compound operation, the processor is further configured to enable the ultrasonic imaging device to perform the corresponding mixed wave imaging mode, including: performing a full-aperture transmission operation of the first ultrasonic wave and a full-aperture transmission operation or a partial-aperture transmission operation of the second ultrasonic wave according to the first transmission parameter of the first hybrid wave imaging mode to obtain first hybrid wave echo data; and / or According to the second transmission parameters of the second hybrid wave imaging mode, the moving aperture transmission operation of the first ultrasonic wave and the full aperture transmission operation or the partial aperture transmission operation of the second ultrasonic wave are performed to obtain second hybrid wave echo data.

4. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 3, wherein: In order to perform a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode and obtain an imaging result after a corresponding compound operation, the processor is further configured to enable the ultrasonic imaging device to perform the corresponding mixed wave imaging mode, further comprising: A compounding operation is performed on the first mixed wave echo data and / or the second mixed wave echo data, where the compounding operation includes at least one of line compounding, space compounding, frequency compounding, and image compounding.

5. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that The compounding operation of the second hybrid wave echo data includes: determining a weight coefficient of the second mixed wave echo data according to coherence information of the second mixed wave echo data; Coherent compounding and / or incoherent compounding is performed according to the weight coefficient of the second mixed wave echo data.

6. The ultrasonic imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In order to perform a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode and obtain an imaging result after a corresponding compound operation, the processor is further configured to enable the ultrasonic imaging device to perform the corresponding mixed wave imaging mode, including: Triggering a hybrid wave imaging operation in a third hybrid wave imaging mode according to the hybrid wave imaging mode: transmitting a non-focused wave of a first transmission frequency, a focused wave of a second transmission frequency, and a harmonic of a third transmission frequency respectively, to obtain corresponding first non-focused wave imaging data, second focused wave imaging data, and third harmonic imaging data; An image combination operation of coherent combination and / or incoherent combination is performed on the first unfocused wave imaging data, the second focused wave imaging data and the third harmonic imaging data.

7. The ultrasonic imaging device according to claim 6, wherein: The focused wave and the unfocused wave have different frequencies.

8. The ultrasonic imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: When the imaging requirement is a requirement related to the frame rate, The processor is further configured to cause the ultrasound imaging device to execute a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode, including: Obtaining tissue movement information of the detected object; Parameters of the focused wave and the unfocused wave are determined according to the tissue motion information.

9. An ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A hybrid wave imaging mode determination module, configured to determine a corresponding hybrid wave imaging mode according to information related to imaging requirements; A hybrid wave imaging operation module, configured to perform a corresponding hybrid wave imaging operation according to the hybrid wave imaging mode, and obtain an imaging result after the corresponding composite operation; The hybrid wave imaging operation includes performing imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, wherein the different transmit beam types include at least focused waves and unfocused waves; The hybrid wave imaging mode includes a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation; during the moving aperture hybrid transmission operation, the focused wave and the unfocused wave are alternately transmitted according to a hybrid transmission order.

10. An ultrasonic imaging method, the method being performed by an ultrasonic imaging device, characterized in that: include: determining a corresponding mixed wave imaging mode according to information related to imaging requirements; Performing a corresponding mixed wave imaging operation according to the mixed wave imaging mode to obtain an imaging result after the corresponding composite operation; The hybrid wave imaging operation includes performing imaging using hybrid waves of different transmit beam types, wherein the different transmit beam types include at least focused waves and unfocused waves; The hybrid wave imaging mode includes a second hybrid wave imaging mode, and the second hybrid wave imaging mode includes a moving aperture hybrid transmission operation; during the moving aperture hybrid transmission operation, the focused wave and the unfocused wave are alternately transmitted according to a hybrid transmission order.

Images